Would you use a Mini-14 for self defense?

Some people do not consider the mini-14 to be a battle weapon. However, I would think that any weapon can be used as a "battle" weapon. Maybe someone could explain why a Mini-14 is not considered a "battle weapon" as opposed to an AR or a M14 type. I do know the difference between a carbine, which I believe the Mini-14 is, and a MBR. Aren't all carbines such as the M1 Carbine, the AR/M4, the SKS and the AK47 considered to be battle weapons? In my opinion the Mini-14 can be just as effective. And, since the Mini has an action which is based on the Garand, it should be very reliable.
There are quite a few countries that have Mini-14s as either police or military issued weapon. There are many agencies in the USA that issue Mini14s as service rifles. Prisons, SWAT teams, police departments in many parts of the world to name a few. I know of a local city police department in this area that uses them.
Inasmuch as the Mini shoots the same round as an AR the result should be about the same. I suppose that the ARís accuracy is a bit better than the Miniís, but they are close to the same as far as combat accuracy is concerned. The AR has better choice of after market mags, but Ruger factory mags are now available and work very well. I would have no problem using my Mini for tactical action. What do you think?

Minis are notorious for heating up quick and tossing the shots everywhere but at the target. Also, Bill Ruger did everything he could to make it unappealing as a combat weapon, like restricting mag sales to 5rds. Yes, things have changed but look at the AR15, how many decades did it take to shed it's failure record in Vietnam and become the rifle it is today? And it still is not perfect.

the mini has a very checkered history as a military arm. i did see some shipped to south america during iran-contra , the IDF got a few and they were quickly given to the militias friendly to them in lebanon. they sort of got passed around like a hot-potato before they finally wound up some where in the ME. then they fell off the radar--

i think jamicas bob sled team still carries them-- but there ain't much call for jamican bob sledders--LOL!

the DOD bought a few for testing in the 1980s, i got to see a few of them fire on full-auto. at the time the DOD hoped to replace the equally buggy xm177 rifle supplied by colt. the idea of a gas piston driven system over the DI system the xm177s had looked good on paper. during testing it was learned that rugers metal castings didn't last too long. accuracy was all over the place.

the rugers couldn't pass the required wear tests which involved thousands of rounds being fired. there were problems with the mags. problems with the operating system and most damning of all-- metal failures in the bolts, operating rods, gas blocks and various moving parts. and there were accuracy problems with all the samples they sent.

the problem was the ruger was built to civilian standards , and made with every cost cutting measure ruger could think of to keep costs low.

low density castings, poor quality steel, poor workmanship, ill fitted parts and various lack of attention to detail were seen in the examples.

this did not go over well on 10,000 torture test with 4 star generals standing around. the mini --a lot was expected as the m14s little brother--

the mini is a good idea had it been made with better steel and forgings it might have come closer to its big brother.

all these military short falls do not make the mini less attractive for civilian or police use.

i doubt you plan of firing thousands of rounds in a 72 hour day and night firefight, or have it mini on the training ground where boots get to abuse it day in and day out. where boots training firing thousands of hot and dirty blanks full auto and tracers- and so on.

being dropped from aircraft, bounced around on hummers and 2-1/2 trucks, wallowed in sand, submerged in water, fired till their nearly red hot then dropped into freezing water--get the picture?

i don't think people who haven't been a grunt know or have an idea on how hard these things are run.

so yea the mini ain't good enough for the military.

that said for civilian use--what it was designed for . it does a good job. with a little tune up they mostly become accurate enough. their mostly semi so they don't get burning up hot and the steel don't get pounded as bad.

yea they are plenty enough for defensive use of the home or the farm.

most of the issues with the minnis showed up in hard use and there ain't a PD or a civilian that runs anything that hard.

it is reliable enough and durable enough for "light duty" --security detail work.

which was the point of the thing anyway. a low cost replacement for aging m1 carbines used by prison guards, that fired a modern round.

well i am sure some mall ninjas shoot like 10,000 rounds a week just to keep that edge--LOL!

in the real world a bullet shoots as hard out of it as an ar-15 or an ak. if you ain't going to the sand box it should do fine.

Thank you, j427x. I appreciate your contribution. I don't have enough ammo to do a ten thousand round test. I could never afford that! But, I do like the way the Mini handles. And., I think the accuracy is adequate for the range of a Mini on man sized targets. I have a Mini and the AR/M4 is currently hard to find. So, I think I will order a few replacement parts (including firing pins) and, as you say: "I got, I use it!"

Hell I'd use chop sticks if that's all that was available, but a mini 14 would not be my first choice self defense gun. For me,,,,, A 12 gauge would be for close up,,, further out a good 308 platform would be my go to. An AR,, FAL,,ect in 308 would be my choices. Hell even a good bolt gun for longer range would do well IMO.

1 shot one kill,, that's how to get it done,, ya don't need 50 rounds flying "willie nilly",every which a way,, something that connects every time, and has more balls,, is a better option.
But just my opinion, yours may vary.

The Mini 14 for self defense is a good choice. I had one and I had no complents.
It went bing when I pulled the trigger, and was accurate. The 30 round mag never
failed to feed, plus it never jamed. Can't say the same for the Ar's, Ak's and the other
fine rifles in my safe. However I would use a Hand gun, or Shotgun, inside my home.